Basic Surfacing
by April Malone
Summary: When Areyanna arrives for her sixth year at Hogwarts, Snape finds a new enemy, relationships begin and odd things start to surface. *~Please Review~* -CHAPTER 6 coming soon!!!
1. At the Beginning

Basic Surfacing  
  
By: April Malone  
  
Disclaimer: The characters present here are all from J.K. Rowling. Except for Madaline Scallon, Bryn, Houton Scallon, Areyanna Scallon, Dyllian, and of course the plot! ^-^  
  
Summary: When Areyanna arrives for her sixth year at Hogwarts, Snape finds a new enemy, Harry and Draco find a mutual friend, and odd things start to surface.   
  
Note: My first published fanfic...*wipes away a swelling tear*...hope it's enjoyed.  
  
***********  
  
CHAPTER 1: At the Beginning  
  
Areyanna stood on the platform 9 3/4 in a disgusted manner. She keep herself from screaming at her step mother and forced back tears for her father. She couldn't believe that her father could sell his own daughter out. They had received the letter from Albus Dumbledore not just two days ago and now she was headed off to Hogwarts for the rest of the year. She knew that her step mother, Bryn, had convinced her father that it was for her own benefit, but Areyanna couldn't exactly put her finger on how she did it. Her father had always been so independent and never did let people push him around.  
  
"Well dear...here comes your train," Houton reached out for his daughter's hand, which once received it seemed to want to stay forever.  
  
"Dad," Areyanna pleaded silently for her father to change her mind. She knew it wouldn't happen, but it was worth any try she could throw out.  
  
"Do you have your ticket?" Bryn hurried Areyanna towards the train. Suitcases under one arm and a palm on her back.   
  
"Please don't touch me," Areyanna stepped away and glared right through her,"...yes, I have it."   
  
The train pulled to a stop and let out a cloud of black steam. A few other teens about her age said goodbye to there families and boarded the red train. A sign on the side read 'HOGWARTS EXPRESS' in golden bold letters.   
  
"Hurry girl, you don't want the train to leave without you," Bryn handed over the suitcases and walked back to her newly married husband.  
  
"Thanks for the send off..." Areyanna murmured and headed onto the train, *I wonder if her parents ever asked her to runaway?* she smiled at her own insult, found her compartment and humoured a goodbye through the glass of the window.  
  
She nestled herself close to the seat and thought of the many insults she could say to Bryn. "Did you eat paint chips when you were a child?"..."Don't you love nature...despite what it did to you?", and before Areyanna knew, she fell fast asleep against the red seat cover with a smirk.  
  
***********  
  
"Excuse me, young lady," a man dressed in black with gold trim gently tapped her head with a long finger.  
  
Areyanna pushed away the finger and turned the other way. It tapped her again. She hit it this time, "WHAT?!" Areyanna jerked upright and turned beat red. She was less than a centimetre away from the man's face, who had also gone bright red with embarrasement.  
  
"I believe this is your stop ma'am," the man scooted away as fast as his long legs would go. He was scared she would yell at him again and he didn't need another lecure from the head steward about this same situation.  
  
Areyanna didn't have time to thank the man, before he ran. She hadn't meant to scare him, so she quickly gathered her things and left the train.  
  
A couple of others stood around her. They to looked tired and distraught. She sat down on her suitcases and thought about her bed at home. She would be curled up under the blue sheets with golden stars, in her dad's old pjs and a glass of warm milk would be sitting empty on the desk beside the bed.   
  
A loud voice interrupted her thoughts, "Ello, follow me." A gaint stood infront of them with a latern. He looked somewhat nice and seeing Areyanna with two big suitcases came over. "Ello there, need some 'elp?"  
  
"No, I think I can manage, but thanks," Areyanna through out the old wink and gun.  
  
"Follow me then," the gaint winked back at her and lead them towards a narrow path which suddenly turned into an open lake, after five minutes of walking.   
  
Areyanna pulled the luggage slowly behind her, trying to keep up with the rest of the teens.  
  
***********  
  
Areyanna had handed over her suitcases to an older member of the school, and was then wait with the others in the hall for the ceremony. They all started whispering about the size of the place and how mysterious it all was. A handsome young man reached Areyanna's side.  
  
"Beautiful isn't it?" his bright blue eyes sparkled under his long brown bangs. He looked at her with the same amazment.  
  
"It is," she felt herself turn bright red and smiled trying not to draw attention to the fact that she found him attractive.  
  
The ceiling reached higher than any Areyanna had ever seen. A staircase made its way around the far corner of the hall.  
  
"I'm Dyllian...I saw you on the train." the boy stared straight at her, making her feel a tad bit uncomfortable.  
  
"I'm Areyanna..." she looked at him not knowing what else to say,"...ah...you can call me Arey."  
  
"Arey. I hope you don't get put into Hufflepuff."  
  
"Thanks?" Areyanna raised an eyebrow at what he had said. *What's Hufflepuff?*  
  
"Alright everyone, please get into a line. The sorting ceremony will soon begin, this is very important because you will be sorted into your houses. Houses are the dorms in which you will stay for the rest of your days at Hogwarts. The house you are sorted into will become your family in Hogwarts. You will be able to earn poitns for your house, but also if the rules are broken your points can be taken away. When the Sorting Hat tells which house you are in, the house will probably cheer. So, there is no need to worry about which house is which. The houses present are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, each is equal and have their own noble history." the tall strict woman pushed a strain of black hair back up into her tighly pulled bun. Her faced looked just as tight, as her lips moved repeating the long informational speech. She began to lead them into the 'Great Hall'.   
  
Areyanna was amazed at all of the candles flickering in the air. She looked up noticing a ceiling that wasn't. It had the look of a night sky, stars twinkled and glowed just as if they were actually there. Maybe they were, Areyanna was impressed at the mysticism of the room. The line stopped abruptly, causing her to almost bump Dyllian. Which wouldn't have been that bad once Areyanna thought about it.   
  
An odd looking worn yellow hat sat on a stool in the middle of the room. It rang through an even odder poem about its self and bowed to the four houses who now hooted and hollered, before the first teen placed it on her head. The girl had long blonde hair and the same black robe everyone else from the train had on. Suddenly the hat spoke. "RAVENCLAW". A group of students jumped to their feet and cheered.   
  
The next went up, ploped the hat onto their head. The Hat shouted again "RAVENCLAW".  
  
Soon, it was Dyllian's turn, after two more Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff. He walked casually up to the stool, like he had been doing it for thousands of years. The Hat sat there for a long time.  
  
Areyanna looked at the different houses, who all watched on in anticipation. The only two that didn't have any new members were Gryffindor and Slytherin. Their teams seemed more eager than Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff who were talking to the new team players.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR" the hat shouted and the team burst out yelling and screaming. A black haired boy with glasses and a slightly visible scarr was standing in the front with a redhead screaming the loudest.  
  
Shakily Areyanna approached the stool and sat down placing the hat on top of her head.The teams seemed anxious to see what team would be named next. She caught a glimpse of the Slytherin team before a blackness filled her eyes, which she figured was the hat. A sharp looking boy with blonde hair stood off to the side a little. He looked to be watching her intently.  
  
A serene voice filled her ears. "Areyanna Scallon, glad to meet you. Don't mind if i search your thoughts?"  
  
"Do you really think I have a choice?," Areyanna remarked with a chuckle, which made the hat laugh.   
  
"Which house do you think you belong too?"  
  
"Not Hufflepuff," Areyanna had seen the people in that house and know knew why Dyllian had wished her well. * They were a little different, they were*, as her mother would say.  
  
"No, no, you don't have to worry. I will not send you there." the Hat gladly reassured her, "You belong in Slytherin, they can help you on your road to greatness. You have a very sharp mind, a yearning to certify yourself in this world, you...yes...you will do well with them," the serene voice became a bit giddy, moving slightly on her head tickling her. Areyanna held back a quivered laugh.  
  
"Well if you think it's the best. I'm not the Sorting Hate," she knew this would make the Hat move again, and it did.  
  
"SLYTHERIN"  
  
Slytherin yelled the loudest now, they had gotten the last new member. Areyanna made her way towards them, her shoulder length black hair with red streaks was a little messed up, but she didn't mind. They all welcomed her with patts on the back, nice 'hellos' and 'what's your name?', to which Areyanna replied 'Areyanna Scallon'. The blonde boy made his way to her, but before he could say anything a greasy man with raven hair shook her hand, "Welcome to Slytherin, hope you are our type." Areyanna erased a disgusted look from her face, she retrieved her hand, "Thanks...uh," then wiped her hand on her black robe. An odd feeling wavered over her.  
  
"Scallon...I've heard of that name before," the greasy man rubbed his greasy beard, "Yes, Scallon. Madaline Scallon...your mother?" he looked at her with a dark frown.  
  
"My mother, how did you know?" Areyanna repeated the words and narrowed her eyes, her mother had died before she was born, she hardly knew anything about her mother. How did he know her. The only things she knew about her mother was that she had dark brown hair and grey eyes, like Areyanna's eyes, and that was only from pictures. Her father had never said anything about Madaline Scallon. Areyanna tried dismissing the thought from her head to the fact that her father was too upset to talk about her, yet on the other hand he was newly married.  
  
The greasy bearded man's frown deepened, as he gathered the people around him and headed out the door into the hall. His robe flew about him as he walked. Areyanna followed with an annoyed, yet curious appearance.   
  
***********  
coming up: Areyanna's first potions class with Snape, she meets Filch, Harry and   
his friends.   



	2. Basic Trouble

Basic Surfacing  
  
By: April Malone  
  
Note: Well...this should prove interesting...  
  
***********  
  
CHAPTER 2: Basic Trouble  
  
Areyanna's eyes flew open, she scratched at the heavyness on her face. Hands and fingers covered the openings of her nose and mouth. She tried to scream, when she realized that Snape, (her house professor), was standing over her. He bent down swiftly, hands still in place on her face.  
  
"Shhh, don't scream," he released his hands and stood back upright. He watched the girl suck in a deep breath and then narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"What in the world are you doing?" Areyanna tried wiping the greasyness of Snape's hands off her face, but she could still feel the moistness.  
  
"You're going to be late for your classes, get up," Snape glowered down at her like someone who might have been clean once.  
  
"Thanks," this word didn't come easily to her lips, especially to say to Snape. She through off the covers and waited for Snape to cross to the other side of the room before she stood up out of bed.  
  
He smiled and moved through the door, closing it once through. Areyanna ran to the tub of water that was left on the dresser and submersed her face in it.   
  
*Yuck! get it off! get it off!* she rubbed her face continuously for five minutes. Finally, she dryed her skin with a white towel, brushed her hair and fixed her make up. She pulled open heavy oak drawers looking for her clothes, and at last found a pair of black socks, black pants, black underwear, black tank top, her balck robe and a dull pair of black shoes. She changed quickly into them, not realizing that it was still dark in the room. *Snape, thinks he's so good...Mr.I-don't-need-to-take-a-bath...I'm so great...* It hadn't even been one night and Snape was already on her nerves.   
  
The door creaked as she emerged into the enterance of the Slytherin common-room. Everythign was still dark, embers still burned in the fireplace and the smell of them fill Areyanna nostiles causing her to cough a little. She grabbed her books and wand she left on the mantle the night before and headed down the staircase towards the opening to the room. She turned around at a faint sniker in the corner of the dark room. It's faded. As she walked again the noise grew a little louder, it muffled itself then faded back into the darkness.  
  
"Hello?" Areyanna paused. A panic feeling sweeped over her entire body. The noise didn't show it's face. She travelled out of the small opening of the common-room enterance, out into the hall. Moonlight streamed across her face and she looked out the window in a sky filled with stars and a bright white moon.  
  
Areyanna turned back to the enterance, repeated the password, strolled to the middle of the room, set down her books, aggressively walk to the corner where the noise came from and said a few words that made her wand's end spark so she could see. Nothing. She put out the wand with a flick of her wrist and stomped off back to the girls dorm for another two hours of sleep.  
  
**********  
  
Students bustled down the halls towards different classes. Some to Charms, others to Defence. Areyanna paced herself for her walk to Potions, with none other than Professor Snape. After that attack that morning, she didn't feel up to his class.  
  
"Hey, Arey," Dyllian called from a few feet away. Areyanna stoped to wait, "Where are you off too?"  
  
"Potions, with Snape," Areyanna knew that her disgust for her professor was cleary shown on her face. Dyllian laughed and patted her back.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it won't be that bad."   
  
"Ha, he got me up two hours before classes and told me I was going to be late," the anger swelled inside her body. Dyllian laughed again. She felt a tiny smile form on her face.  
  
"I gotta go, hope it's ok," the boy waved as he headed down another hallway to their left. Areyanna waved slightly and headed on towards the the potions room.  
  
***********  
  
"Great to see you awake and ready, Scallon," Snape gingerly commented as the girl slumped into her desk.  
  
"Nice shoes," Areyanna slandered his shoes under her breath.  
  
"Excuse me?" Snape shot as the students who heard what she said chuckled into hands or coughed to keep from being caught.  
  
"Nice to see you too."  
  
Snape's eyes became small slits on his face. He sat down heavily at his desk and confidentially took a peek at his shoes. *Their not any different then the students shoes* he reported to himself.   
  
Areyanna couldn't help be laughed as she caught him looking at the shoes under his desk. *He needs some serious help* the words made her laugh a little bit harder even though they didn't stand for much.  
  
"Today's lesson will begin with a simple potion for curing warts," Snape galanced about the room at the his students, who all sat scribbling in their books, "Muggles believe that to get a wart you must kiss a frog...incorrect...muggles will also say that wizards don't exist, they will deny the very existence of Merlin," the thought of foolish muggles pulled at Snapes nerves, the very thought of them denying anything to do with magic almost knocked that wind out of him.  
  
"Not all muggles, professor," Areyanna corrected Snape's stereotypical remark. Snape curled his hand into a fist and hovered over Areyanna and her desk. The two stared each other down, like it was high noon in the center of town and both were ready for the shoot-off.  
  
"Not a muggles, did you say Scallon, and how do you come by your answer?"   
  
"I just don't believe that all muggles think that magic is inferior," Areyanna watched Snape crouch down to her level.   
  
"What do you believe Areyanna?" the words flowed swiftly from his tongue and of his lips. Areyanna couldn't help but curled her lip and the foul smelling breath. A piece of greasy hair fell over his eye, but he made no admitted to move it. He sat there awaiting her answer.  
  
"I believe in good hygiene," As the rest of the class burst into laughter, Areyanna smiled sweety at a raging Snape, who had thought he would have gotten the better of her.  
  
Snape stood, he started breathing heavily and snorted at her, "A quick tongue doesn't mean a keen mind, Areyanna Scallon. I hope you will remember that the next time you try to insult me."  
  
"I'm not as dumb as you look," the class was now roaring with laughter. Areyanna looked around the room. Some people were turning red trying to hide their smirking and others plain out showed everything. A blonde boy at the back of the room glared at her. She turned away. His blue eyes burnt a hole I the back of her head.   
  
"LEAVE!" a long out stretched arm pointed to the door, "TO FILCH!...NOW!"  
  
A solemn faced Areyanna grabbed her books and headed out he door slamming it shut once on the other side. She stood there a moment listening to what Snape was going to say to calm the class down.  
  
"Draco, make sure that girl gets to Filch," Areyanna began to walk. The last thing she needed now was to get into more trouble for eavesdropping. She hadn't even taken three steps when the door opened and shut, yet she paid no attention to it and keep walking.  
  
"That was some show in there," a handsome voice stated casually.  
  
"I perform tomorrow at the same time of your interested." A hand grabbed her from behind slowing her down. She turned and released his grip.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" it was the blonde boy.  
  
"Obviously you don't remember me..." the boy looked at her in confusion,"...I was in your dreams last night."  
  
The look on the boy's face told Areyanna that he had gotten the joke, "Right, you were the one kissing the ground I walked on," he walked a step in front of her leading to Filch.  
  
Areyanna searched her mind for a good come back, but found nothing. The boy had actually stumped her.   
  
***********  
  
"Draco what do you want?" an even grosser man than Snape sat behind a desk. A cat the colour of dust nestled it's head beneath his chin.  
  
"Here," Draco shoved the girl in the room. She shoot him an irritated look as she stumbled to regain her balance. He returned the look with a grin, then proceeded out the door.  
  
"And you are?" Filch set the cat on the desk and motioned for the girl to sit.  
  
"Areyanna Scallon."  
  
"Who sent you?"  
  
"Professor Snape."  
  
"For what reason did her send you?"  
  
"For telling the truth," Areyanna didn't exactly lie, neither did she tell the whole truth about the incident.  
  
"Don't give me that, what did you do?" Filch had replaced the cat to his lap and watched for a reply.  
  
*Might as well tell him, I don't want to be here all day.* Areyanna commented. "First Snape...I mean, Professor Snape asked me what I believed in and I said that I believed in hygiene," The man's face twisted, unable to tell if it was a smile or a look of impending doom Areyanna went on to tell the rest of the story, leaving out the walk to his office.  
  
"Quite interesting, I have never really knew anybody that could get the best of old Snape like that, but I will say that the punshiment will be bad," he looked the girl up one side and down the other, "Just let me confirm it with Dumbledore first."  
  
While Filch was gone Areyanna petted the strange cat. It wretched its body about her feet and made a weird purring noise like a car that could start. The cat jumped up onto her lap and started clawing at her robe.  
  
"Ouch, stop," Areyanna grabbed the huge dusty ball of fur and shoved it back onto the desk. An angry sound made its way from underneath the fur. Areyanna watched the cat intently out of eccentric curiousity. It moved from the desk to Filch's chair and scratched at the back of the desk, "Hmm..." a meddlesome inch flowed through her hands, "...Here kitty...whacha lookin' for?" Areayanna pushed herself away from the chair and peered over the desk. The cat scratched again at a drawer. Now around the desk Areyanna pulled the drawer open. The grey cat jumped inside and sat there looking at her. The only way to get a peek at was inside would be to touch the cat, that didn't stand well with Areyanna because she had the feeling the cat didn't like her. The reason could be that it started swatting it's paw at her. "Pretty kitty, move away now," Areyanna lied and searched the top of the desk with a free hand looking for anything that was big and heavy enough to move the fluff ball. Finally, she grabbed a long metal ruler and propped it on one side of the cat, who now hissed. "Either you move or you lose...," the cat didn't back down, "Fine be the tough one," with that Areyanna pushed down on the free side of the ruler. The cat let out a horrific scream and jumped. Placing the ruler back on the desk Areyanna started searching the contents of the drawer. Feather duster, rags, whistle...whistle? Areyanna didn't want to know. She pushed it aside and continued. Her hand brushed against a cold object. She started to uncover it, a big oval locket the size of her hand lay there. It caught the light of the desk lamp on it's silvery surface, painting a small reflection against Areyanna and the wall. Before she had a chance to even think about the beautiful locket the door creaked. Areyanna shoved the locket into her robe pocket and jumped up from behind the desk.   
  
"What are you doing?" the old wrinkled face of Argus Filch flashed her a disagreeable sneer.  
  
Areyanna went to place her hands on the desk, as she did the open drawer hit her leg. *Great* Areyanna could see the trouble she'd be in now, but maybe she could close it. The cat rubbed against her leg.  
  
"Get away from there, unless you want more detention work," Filch started to walk closer. There was no time to close it softly, Areyanna hit the drawer with all of the migh tin her foot, "What was that?"  
  
"I don't know," she said slipping back into her sit. She slid her hand inside her pocket touching the cold metal of the locket, wondering what it contained.  
  
"Where's my cat?" Filch stared at her, accussing her of doing something to it.  
  
"Beats me, it's not my cat," Areyanna regretted the words after she spoke them. Filch opened the drawer at the bottom of the desk. A grey tail flopped over the top of the desk as he brought the cat into view. She wanted to yell at the supid cat. It msut have jumped in the drawer right before she closed it, "I didn't..."  
  
"You should have a more troublesome job," the words spat at Areyanna cutting of her I-didn't-do-it.  
  
"What do I have to do?" she really didn't want to ask. Filch sneer turned into what looked like a smile. Shivers rushed down Areyanna's spine, was he jsut enticing fear or was that smile for a reason.  
  
***********  
  
*I can't believe he enticed me like that* Areyanna rubbed the gold surface of a trophy, *This is nothing, I'll just do a shabby job and then get to dinner.* There was only about two hundred trophies to go. The punishment had been to wash every trophy it the room, which isn't hard when you decide to do a bad job of cleaning them. Areyanna dunked the toothbrush into the soapy water. At least all of the class that say weren't so bad, Charms was fun, Defence was going to get better once she udnerstood some of the words. The only class she hardly looked forward to was Potions. The thought of Snape made her cringe, she wouldn't last another five minutes in that class. The man was just to easy to get the better of, these trophies would be sparkling and the gold plating would be gone by the time the school year was up.  
  
"That was a pretty good thing you pulled in Potions today," the boy she had saw at the front of the Gryffindor team cheering at the Sorting Hat ceremony stood in the doorway. A redhead and brunette stood behind him.  
  
"I could never have done that," the redhead smiled thinking about Snape's bewildered face.  
  
"Thanks," what else could Areyanna say.  
  
"I'm Hermione, this is Harry..."she pointed at the black haired boy from the ceremony and then at the redhead, "...and that's Ron."  
  
"Areyanna," she dryed her hands on a rag unwillingly lent to her by Filch and shooked their hands.  
  
"It's Snape," Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder and Hermione bit her lip.  
  
"Well, see you around, wish we could have stayed longer," Harry and the others waved. Areyanna could here their footsteps quickly run down the hallway.  
  
She looked back at the trophies and decided to say that she was finished.  
  
"Scallon," Snape leaned against the frame of the door. Areyanna through the rag into the water bucket that was now a dirty brown and held the toothbrush in her hand. Snape toiled about the trophies peering in through the glass, "Are we finished so soon? they don't look that clean."  
  
"Well I used your soap, I wonder why," Areyanna coughed to smother her words.  
  
"Sadly, you are free to go," Snape made his way slowly to her front, "I don't want a smart mouthed girl interupting my class again...do you hear me?"  
  
"I can't promise anything," Areyanna stared right into the dark tunnels of his eyes.  
  
"I wouldn't accept a promise from you," Snape remained inside the room as Areyanna step out into the hall. She turned back, Snape questioning her with his eyes.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot, here," Areyanna handed Snape a toothbrush. Snape took it and looked it over. The bristles were bent everywhich way and were stained brown. He moved his fingers from the handle revealing SNAPE in bold blakc letters. He slowly looked back up at the girl how stood in the door way.  
  
"Thanks, it worked well..." Areyanna turned form him and headed down the hallway remarking before she turned the corner, "seeing it was never used before."  
  
**********   
  
  
  



	3. Under Disclosure

Basic Surfacing  
  
By: April Malone  
  
Note: yet again another chapter...*triangle sound*...enjoy...  
  
***********  
  
CHAPTER 3: Under Disclosure  
  
Supper hadn't been as great as Areyanna expected, the food was cold and stale, the noise in the room echoed off the stone walls and vibrated in her mind. It was her first day and the only friend she could call a friend was in her houses rival, Gryffindor. She watched Dyllian laugh with the others at the table and crack jokes while shovelling in the cold food. She turned to find something a little more interesting, but only saw Snape at the teacher's table picking about his plate. She looked back at her plate as he glanced up at her. The Draco sat at the far end of the table with two others she hadn't meet. The boys gave each other grossed out looks after trying the food on their plates.   
  
Areyanna couldn't take much more, her chair squeeked as she stood. Eyes watched her as she silently left the dining hall and crossed into the hall. At least there she could hear herself think. She thought that it would have been a fun supper, with offending Snape and all, but it didn't turn out like that.  
  
A cold breeze moved through the long hall, making her hair dance and her robe flap. She pulled it closer. The last thing she needed was to get the flu. A low noise came from behind her. She shivered and looked. Nothing. Heading back down the hallway another sound rang, but louder than the last. Turning again she saw a white figure dodge behind a statue of armor.  
  
"Great. Look, I'm just going to my room," Areyanna replied bitterly. Still, nothing showed making her believe she was seeing things. She continued down the hall, she could see...nothing but hallway floor. She found herself lieing face down on the ground, want ever she thought she had seen, Areyanna knew that it had tripped her. A faint white glow loomed above her head, she went to flip over when the white glow pushed down on her. "Ow, get off," Areyanna tried pushing up with her palms, but the thing was to heavy, "GET OFF!!".  
  
"A crying lass, a shame to pass," the white thing pressed harder. Areyanna could feel the stone pushing itself into her hand.  
  
"LET ME UP...I was not crying," she managed with a jerk of her body to rotate on to her back. The figure flew into the air and hovered watching her with tiny black eyes.  
  
"Not crying...you are lying...firsties always cry," the figure swooped down closer to her. Maybe to see if it was wrong about her crying.  
  
Areyanna fluttered her arms to move what she now realized was a ghost to leave, "Go away."  
  
The figure grabbed something from his pocket and through it at her. A white eraser hit her cheek then fell into her lap.  
  
"Jeez thanks," she through the eraser back at the ghost, who was already gone. The clatter of it hitting another statue made her jump. She raised herself back to her feet and continued on her way.  
  
***********  
  
A sudden closing of a door made her jump. She had fallen asleep on a brown leather chair next to the fireplace. She sat up, her skin peeled from the chair creating a sticky sound.   
  
"What are you doing up?" Snape slithered into the common-room with a look of frenzy on his face.   
  
"I must of fell asleep," Areyanna could hardly open her eyes than start insulting him.  
  
"It's way to late, go to bed," He glared at her once again, then headed into his bedroom locking the door once inside.  
  
"Ya..ya..ya," a shadowed hand waved for five minutes still thinking that he was still in the room.   
  
A few mintues later and the hand feel back into its owner's lap, which made the owner leap from the chair with a sheer rush of adrenaline. The hand found it's way back into the pocket of the black robe looking for the locket. It found nothing and searched the other.  
  
"No...no..." Areyanna pulled the pockets inside out reveling them to be empty, "...no...no...no". The locket was gone. She inspected the seams and found no holes, she inspected the walls of the pocket, but still no holes. The sides of the chiar checked out clean, she searched underneath, yet  
to no avail. Areyanna stood thinking for what seemed like forever, but was only two minutes. The ghost. It must have fallen out when she fell. Her hands disclosed evidence of the stone floor, tiny bits of dust and sand remained planted in both palms.  
  
Not thinking of any consequences or the rath that would unfold if Snape caught her she swung open the door and headed out.   
  
***********  
  
"Where is it?" Areyanna had found the eraser, thinking it would be a good clue to where she had fallen. She passed her hand over the stone blindfully. The darkness hadn't even entered her mind, for if it had she wouldn't have been looking for the locket. Images of Snape finding the key and presenting it to Filch jumped through her mind, they would be waiting for her back at the common-room. *I think she deserves a harsher punishment* Snape would smile and mouth ful of unbrushed teeth. She now searched faster.  
  
Another figure entered the hall. Areyanna jerked her head up. It moved in a faster paced than walking towards her. She scooted behind a statue of armor and closed her eyes hoping it didn't see her. The sound of the shoes on stone slowed. It was just infront of her now. Holding her breath she waited for the shadow to grab her. She could see in her thoughts Snape and Filch discussing her punishment. Nothing. The shadow mved on down the hall. A sigh of relief escaped from her as she began to search again.  
  
It wasn't but two seconds and another figure entered. This time it was white. She knew this ghost, it was the one who had her out here looking for the locket.  
  
"I know your there, Filch will be happy," the ghost began to walk downthe hallway.  
  
Did he really know she was there. Could he see her in the darkness. Did he say Filch. Areyanna froze from where she was in the middle of the hall. The ghost made his way a little closer with every breath she released. She could smell her punshiment, bitter, sour, and unconditional.   
  
A hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her against the wall. She let out a mild squeek before it covered her mouth.  
  
The ghost looked towards them, "Are you over there?..."  
  
What would they do now. The hand didn't moved, she could feel the warmth of the person behind her. Their chest rising and falling, faster and faster as the ghost neared.  
  
Areyanna thought about her hands and how they were sweating. She knew the consequnce would be drastic if both of them were caught out of their houses at night. A warm feeling entered her hand. The eraser. She slowly raised her arm and through it. The eraser hit another statue, which it seemed to do often.  
  
The ghost snapped his neck towards the sound. He forgot about the shadows up against the wall and swooped towards the sound.  
  
Both let out a held breath. Areyanna pulled the hand away from her mouth. That was the second time in two days that someone tried to shut her up.  
  
"Do you think it's gone?" Areyanna got to her feet, as did the other.  
  
"Peeves...ya, he'll find something else to do," Areyanna recognised the voice. It was Draco, the boy who accompanied her to Filch's office.  
  
"What are you doing here?" the words silent not to draw attention.  
  
"Playing the hero," Areyanna could almost she him smile in the pitch black hall.  
  
"I'm not a damsel in distress here," she tilted her head.  
  
"Well...not now," Draco knocked her shoulder with his and headed down away from their house.  
  
"Where are you going, our house is the other way."  
  
"Peeves is also down their too," his footsteps stopped.  
  
Areyanna remembered the locket. It wasn't worth almost getting caught again.   
  
"Come on," Draco's footsteps approached her. Areyanna out stretched her arm hitting his chest.  
  
"Sorry," she muttered.  
  
"No prob." he placed his hand in hers. She blushed, thanking the night for the darkness. She knew the burning on her face would have been doubled if this would have happened in daylight.  
  
"Where are we going?," she locked her fingers around his. Protection was a sort of feeling she had never really experienced. Her father was hardly ever home and her mother...never really anywhere.  
  
"Another way."  
  
***********  
  
*~please review~* 


	4. Obscure Encounters

Basic Surfacing  
  
By: April Malone  
  
***********  
  
CHAPTER 4: Obscure Encounters  
  
The night before had been to die for, except for the fact that the locket still hadn't shown up. Areyanna tried wiping the thought from her mind wanting to continue thinking about Draco. He had been so sweet, saving her from Peeves and helping in the darkness. She could really trust him. She dressed quickly and headed out the door for breakfast.  
  
"Hungry?" Snape called as she zoomed around him.   
  
She wasn't so much hungry as she was glad to be able to sit beside someone she could have a conversation with. She entered the dining hall. Everyone was chattering and calling 'hello' to their friends, she wondered if it only seemed happier because she was.   
  
"Areyanna," Draco invited her with the motion of his hand. She immediately crossed the floor and sat down, "How's it going?"  
  
"Fine," she didn't want to seem needy. She was far from it, "How's the food?"  
  
"Not to bad, here I brought you some," he slid a plate containing a cut apple, oatmeal, orange juice and a blueberry muffin in front of her. Draco smiled back as she thanked him.   
  
The apple was fresh and sweet, but lost its appeal half way through. Areyanna didn't dare touch the oatmeal, chunks churtled the top which was sprinkled eith cinnamon. The muffin was good and the orange juice was the best she had ever tasted.  
  
"Do you think Snape knows?" the words made Areyanna gulp loudly. She blushed and looked in the direction of the teachers table. Snape sat at the end beside Mr. Quirrel. He was picking at his food once again, a glass of milk empty beside the bowl of oatmeal.  
  
"Why do you care?" she hadn't thought of Draco as a worry wart.  
  
"Just wondering," his eyes were watching Snape as well.  
  
A bell rang before Areyanna could say anything else. Draco rose from the table dangling a shiny object infront of her. Areyanna pulled it away from her face focusing her eyes on it.   
  
"I was loo..."  
  
"Familar?" Draco folded it back up into his hand. The girl stood yanking him behind her.  
  
Surrounded by the little privacy of the hall Areyanna stopped. The look on Draco's face hadn't changed from the moment she walked in.  
  
"Where did you find it?" she whisphered as fellow students walked by not really noticing the somewhat angry 'talk' they were having.  
  
"I kicked it when I went looking for you," he was more calm than she ever could have been at this point.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you had it?" frenzy fluttered through her voice, caught by Draco who raised an eyebrow.  
  
Draco shuttered, the colour faded from his face. His eyes turned from the deep blue to a deep hollowed gray.  
  
"Take it...," the voice was quiet and stern. It wasn't Draco. It reached out Draco's hand with the locket pushing it towards Areyanna. She floudered at the strength the hand contained. "GO," the voice was harsh, yet quiet.  
  
Areyanna concealed the locket in both hands and started running down the hall.   
  
"Areyanna?" Draco blinked calling after the girl. He didn't know what was going on, he didn't know why she had left in such a rush or why she didn't let him answer.  
  
***********  
  
Areyanna locked the dorm room's door behind her and through the locket across the room to the bed. She watched, afraid it was going to sprout legs or turn redhot. What had happened back there? She shivered thinking about Draco's eyes. Draco! she had left him alone, did he realize what happened? Would he ask her about it? Should she get him involved? What if she did and he got hurt, she would have to explain it to everyone. No, he's be fine. What if she got hurt, would anyone demanded to know? Would Filch had Dumbledore kick her out? She pressed her hands against her head making the question stop. She just wouldn't tell anyone and if she didn't tell anyone they couldn't get her caught with it. What if someone caught her? She could make up a lie, it's not that hard.  
  
She tooked a few steps heading to the bed. *It's not as bad as you think* she relaxed a little, she had never been this worked up about a necklace. She found herself laughing. What was she doing getting distressed about a piece of metal. Areyanna managed to lose the thoughts. She made the rest of the way to the bed in complete control. The locket sat contently near her.  
  
*What if the same thing happend to me if I touch it?* Areyanna watched engrossed in the though of Draco's eyes, *No, I touched it before and nothing* Her fingers danced across the sheet beside the locket. It didn't change or turn any color or temperature when she picked it up. The metal shone and reflected a weird image of her face in it like her wand. Wand! Books! Class! She jumped off the bed heart racing. She hid the locket under her pillow and rushed out of the room without time to breathe.  
  
***********  
  
The bell rang just as she entered the door of Potions class. Her heart was beating faster, she gasped for breath. Snape shut the door behind her, the students watched intently as she took her seat. Snape started writing materials down on the board for the poiton they were going to discuss that day. Areyanna hiccuped. Snape cringed, then erased a word he messed up on when she did. She hiccuped again.  
  
"Go get a drink," Snape blasted as he turned around red with his last nerve.  
  
Areyanna rose from her sit. She went to open the door and hiccuped again, the room was completely silent except for her. Snape widened the door, breath fuming from his nose. She starred wide eyed at him.  
  
"You can see Filch after you do so..." he watched her leave.  
  
"What?" she asked just as the door shut on her nose, "Why don't you just put my desk down there!"  
  
The door open as if Snape was waiting for her to say something like that to him. "The thought had crossed my mind," he shut the door on her again.  
  
"Must have been a long and lonely journey!" she cry out at the brown oak door, then scurried down the hall before Snape could yell at her. This was unfair, she didn't do anything wrong. What was Snape so aggravated with?  
  
***********  
  
Areyanna heard students in the hall talking about the poitions class and how the whole course of class was like that. Snape being annoyed with everyone and everything. Gyffindor was deducted 15 points from Harry adding frog blood with the wrong measuring device. Filch had her wash the trophy room floor before lunch, which wasn't hard since he didn't specify not to use magic and Areyanna headed for her next class, she didn't make eye contact with Draco or eat with him, nor he with her. She didn't want to and guessed Draco didn't either, so she left it at that.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Surfacing

Basic Surfacing  
  
By: April Malone  
  
***********  
  
CHAPTER 5: Surfacing  
  
A cold chill welcomed Areyanna into the room. She carried herself heavily to her bed. Dinner was like the last and Draco sat quietly at the other end of the table. Did he hate her? She hoped not, she didn't mean for anything to happen. She didn't provoke or wish it, it just happened. Areyanna pulled the locket from underneath the pillow and wiped her finger prints from it's gleaming surface. She began to open it. BANG. She sprung from the bed, her hands shaking so much that she had to throw the locket back on the bed before it dropped sending people to investigate all the noise. She scanned the room. The window had shut, banging against the sill. Areyanna paced herself, *please don't let anyone here that*. She waited, no one came. She returned her thoughts to the locket which sat open on the top of her bed. Inside lay a snug fitting key and an old piece of paper. She sat herself back down taking the locket back into her hands and placing it back over her head. The key was brass, unlike the locket and the piece of paper seemed to be stuffed in. She emptied the locket on to the bed. She picked up the brass key and examined it top to bottom. It was in bad condition, for the edges that fit into the lock, they were partially scratched and scraped and the body had traces of ash and charred. Exchanging the key for the paper, Areyanna was careful to open it wiping the soot from her fingers. Black writing was scribbled on the whole page, which fit into the palm of her hand. She looked over it before reading, but she didn't find who it belonged to. Maybe there was reference in the letter, she started to read slowly being sure not to miss a single word.  
  
Please don't be angry with me. The thought of anything happening,  
especially to you, would haunt me forever.  
  
A chain of fear fluttered through her body. The words seemed so close to her, but for the reason unknown. The simple handwriting was so gentle against the paper. The thoughts forever carved on the thin flesh of tree. She read on.  
  
The information I know will only   
destroy the things  
we love. I do this so that you and   
the otherswill live. There is so much evil   
for you to fight, Snape, I am   
thankful to do this for you.   
  
SNAPE! What how could a person love him. She felt like puking, her worst enemy, the love of this person's life. This letter was getting sick.   
  
Tell my mom and my brother,   
Houton that I love them, and  
I am sorry for the pain I caused them.   
The child was a mistake and I  
hate to burden them with her.   
Remember our pact. I will hope to   
see you in another time.  
  
Your friend beyond the end,  
Madaline Scallon  
  
Areyanna gasped. Tears flooded from her heart to her eyes and down her face. The world she had once lived so greatly in, crumbled away infront of her. She was a mistake. Mistake. A heartless word that made her run from the room. She didn't care about the fact of Houton. She wasn't even concerned about the fact that her uncle had cared for her all those years as her father, when he didn't have to. She didn't care that Snape was only her mother's friend. She cried because she wasn't wanted by the person that gave her life.   
  
The grief stricken girl ran past the fire that had warmed a cold heart when she had arrived. She ran past a blonde boy, who had excepted her. He ran behind her, calling for her to slow down. Every time reaching her but only to slow down before he could stop her. She couldn't, not now. The locket jumped against her chest beating the truth into her. The paper crippled in her white knuckled hand.   
  
***********  
  
Snape clattered down the hall towards Filch's office. His face stretched downward and his eyes searching his thoughts.  
  
*How could Filch just leave it in a drawer* he turned down a hallway, *It's not just a piece of metal* It was the only real piece of his friend he had left. His gaze turned to the floor. She gave her life for him. Voldermort had almost got rid of him. She found out before. He swore that if he could go back, he would save her. He had blurted the words into the darkness that night, the only way that Voldermort could have heard him that night. He remembered touching her, feeling her skin. Visions of her burnt and twiching body lay before his eyes. Her eyes shut so tight from the pain they started to bleed. After Dumbledore had come the only remains of her was a key that he pocketed and placed in the locket. He was off to find out how it got stolen. Her image flashed upon him again. Blinking didn't help, nothing could help.   
  
Dumbledore approached him.  
  
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore smiled as Snape stopped. His look was a bit frightining.  
  
"Head master Dumbledore, is everything alright?" Snape waited impatiently, wishing that he was still alone. These memories that were surfacing made it hard to think about anything.   
  
"I should ask you the same question, what is going on?" Dumbledore watched Snape search for an answer.  
  
"Well..." Dumbledore knew about what happened, but still Snape didn't want to talk out loud about it.  
  
Sensing the tension Dumbledore nodded with gentle blue eyes, "Oh, I see," he tapped his nose and went on his way.  
  
Snape sighed and continued toward FIlch's office. The night loomed in from the window, clouds rising and stirring together. He walked faster.  
  
***********  
  
Her tears were hot, yet against the wind they grew cool. She ran faster and faster down the hallways, away from everything. The next dark cold space she could find, she would crawl in and just leave herself to it. An emptiness hollowed her heart, her own mother. They didn't even know each other.  
  
"Areyanna, please," Draco yelled still behind her. What ever happened to make her hurt, he would fix. He watched her hair fly and wiped about her head, the red streaks a blur.   
  
***********  
  
Snape turned the corner of the hall. WHAM. He stumbled backwards as Areyanna plowed into him falling. Draco stepped behind her, he tried to pick her up but she refused his arms. Snape spotted the necklace.  
  
"Areyanna Scallon," Snape wanted to yell at her. She had the locket. The safest place to hide it, Filch's drawer, was now vulnerable. Pity loomed through his dark eyes, and Areyanna caught it, standing.  
  
"You..." she was hysterical. Her white fist shaking at him, with the paper of his inside,"...th..this..." she sobbed harder, her grey eyes drowned in pools of glistening tears.  
  
"Areyanna calm down, please, tell me what's going on," Draco stood in the middle of an unwanted child and that of the only one who knew the mother as she used to be. He felt the angry and sad enegry between both. "What's happened?"  
  
Areyanna felt more lonely then ever. Her stomach turned making it harder to keep her balance.   
  
Snape looked to the floor again. Poor girl, she must feel desolate. He couldn't help but feel guilty knowing that her mother loved him more than her own child. Madaline had been his best friend since he had came to the school and know was the second time he regreted it. The first time not being their for her death, saving her from Voldermort.  
  
"Move Draco," Areyanna spat trying to move around him. She just wanted out. He held her back, she tried again. He held his ground and her strongly. Slapping him made him move. Areyanna's breath grewer faster with another attack of misery.   
  
Snape watched Draco holding his burning cheek and watching the floor as if it were to swallow him hole. Areyanna moved closer to Snape. She hurled the paper at his feet and ran off wiping scornful tears with a hot hand.  
  
Where she was headed, she didn't care. As long as she got out of this hell hole. The farther the better. No one had followed her, which was good, or maybe she wanted someone to. She couldn't really be sure, the pain took over as she existed the burning flames of hell.   
  
***********  
  
Draco turned to see Areyanna gone. What was he to do now? If he went after her she would more than likely push him away. He wanted to know what was going on, and the only one to do that was Areyanna, but she had run. Then rememberign Snape was behind him, Draco turned. Snape read the paper, solemnly.  
  
"What does it say?" Draco urged.  
  
"That's none of your business," Snape's voice was shaky and quiet.   
  
Draco wished he had commented or forced Snape to read it, but as he opened his mouth nothing escaped. He wanted to rip the letter from Snape's curled fingers, then he could understand, then he could comfort Areyanna. A chill breeze made him shutter, it was moist. Draco could sense rain coming, and pleaded inside himself with anything that would listen that Areyanna didn't leave the school. With her temper and pride she wouldn't come back for thought of looking weak. "Please..." Draco reached his hand out for the letter, it still smelled of her scent.   
  
Snape rewarded Draco's hand with the letter. Not laying an eye on him, Snape repeated the memorized note and began to explain, "The night Madaline died was the night I was supposed to. She gave her life to save me from the likes of Voldermort and his people. She...she was burned alive," the boy's eyes darted up, the glare of the light bounced sharpy off each. "She wrote me that note," Snape gestured toward it, "She left it in the locket on my dresser for me that night."  
  
Draco could hear a hint of remorse building behind Snape's strong features.  
  
"Burned alive..." Snape shook his head reciting the words again and again to the point of driving Draco insane.  
  
Areyanna was alone out there in the darkness. Her life full of lies, her soul in anguish and her heart broken. She was alone, in the middle of a place she hardly knew, ready to take any offer to stop the pain. His face hardened.   
  
Snape turned from the anger look of the boy and headed towards Dumbledore's office. Areyanna was in trouble and he couldn't let it happen again. The same regret would hold him to his death and beyond.  
  
***********  
  
In a split second Draco found himself outside. He had to find her, despite no help from Snape. Snape the one who caught on to fear and walked away. Areyanna was in danger and he just walked away, not even thinking about anyone except himself. Draco was disgusted. A bitter after taste of Snape's offensive display was making it's way into his mouth.   
  
The wind was strong, swaying trees and knocking pine cones at him. The clouds assembled above over the blackness of the sky. His robe fluttered about his legs revealing his black pants to the darkness. There would only be a short time before the rain would fall, soaking the ground, soaking everything under it. At least there was no threat of fire.   
  
  



End file.
